[Sest]
Money… there’s never enough. I’d never worried about such things before, but serving as a magistrate forces you to think about it, whether you like it or not.
At first, seeing such a massive budget made me excited—could we really spend this much?—but why didn’t anyone warn me before it ran out?
Before I knew it, the required amount had grown so large that even raising taxes couldn’t cover it. I sold the assets managed in the city as the acting lord, repeatedly sent the knights on “training” expeditions, and hunted bandits and magical beasts to earn money.
Still, it wasn’t enough to make up the deficit.
I was wondering what to do next when the news of the invasion of the Yerinetta Kingdom arrived.
“Even if it means going into debt, gather the troops,” Yard had said, and I nodded in understanding. At the same time, I thought, this will save us.
I immediately contacted my aides and instructed them to alter the books so that all prior deficits and debts would appear as if they had been for this day. Conveniently, we also had records of the knights’ expeditions.
Anything still missing could be disguised as the cost of hiring mercenaries. Since Yard was hiring plenty of mercenaries himself, as long as we acted together, no one would notice.
Despite my anxieties, I decided to join the battle.
The journey itself wasn’t particularly difficult. Having grown accustomed to a life of indulgence, simple meals and sleeping in the carriage were the hardest parts.
More daunting was participating in a major war against another nation. Yard was obsessed with earning military glory, but it wouldn’t be that easy. Even facing a band of thieves, multiple knights could die. The same went for mid-sized magical beasts.
And yet, we first had to cross the Wolfsburg Mountains to reach the Yerinetta Kingdom.
Are you insane? Why go through a mountain range teeming with giant magical beasts?
I wouldn’t dare voice such thoughts aloud—lest I be accused of disrespect and lose my head—but no one could convince me it was rational.
I spent the journey listening half-heartedly to Yard’s boasting and thinking such things.
Finally, we arrived at the first destination: Van’s territory. I had heard it was a poor, feeble village, but I wondered how bad it could be.
Van as a baron? That had to be a cruel joke. But seeing the territory firsthand, my first thought was sheer disbelief.
“…Yard, is that… could that really be Van’s territory?”
Was this some kind of mistake? I asked, but Yard’s eyes were wide with the same shock.
“…A walled city? Could he have really built walls like that in just over a year?”
I repeated the words as I gazed upon the towering walls before me. They were magnificent, the very picture of strength. The gates stood proud, every detail meticulously crafted.
I wondered if we had taken a wrong turn, muttering to Yard as we approached the gates. As expected, the land was narrow, consistent with the story that this was once a small, remote village. I felt a quiet relief, comparing it to the city I once governed.
“…Why are we going outside the town?”
Yet somehow, we were being guided out, and both Yard and I protested.
“Are… are they trying to kick us out?”
We spoke in unison, but the soldiers leading us merely shrugged and spoke casually.
“Ah, my apologies for the lack of explanation. This is not yet Ceat Village. The number of adventurers visiting Ceat Village has grown so much that Van-sama established a new town exclusively for adventurers.”
“…Huh?”
Yard let out a dumbfounded sound at the soldier’s words. I had no idea what he meant. Meanwhile, the gates opened.
Beyond them appeared a new walled city, and we were left speechless.
For before us lay a fortress city—clearly capable of housing over ten thousand people, despite its unusual design. Neatly arranged roads were flanked by soldiers, seemingly from the royal knight corps, camping on either side.
Feeling the eyes of thousands of elite troops upon us, we proceeded toward the city gates. It was as if the knights were escorting us under watchful eyes.
Finally, we arrived at the gates of the fortress city. It was like facing a sheer mountain. The towering walls and gate loomed above us, yet a small stream flowed in front—we hadn’t even reached the gate itself yet.
“Open the gates! Lower the bridge!”
A soldier shouted, and the bridge descended immediately. The rectangular panel I had assumed was the gate turned out to be a drawbridge. Its reverse side was intricately carved, so from a distance, it looked like a regular gate.
The bridge lowered, and the gates swung open.
“Welcome to Ceat Village. Van-sama awaits you.”
As the gates opened, a maid appeared with knights in tow, announcing this. Yard frowned in displeasure.
“What? They’re letting us walk without greeting the elder brother?”
He muttered his complaints, but his voice was barely audible even to me. After all, we had heard that Van had become a baron; criticizing him openly would not do.
Resigned, we silently followed the maid leading the way.
I recognized her somehow, though I couldn’t place from where. As we walked, she gestured toward the buildings lining the streets.
“Yard-sama, Sest-sama, this is your first visit to Ceat Village, so I will give a brief explanation of the town.”
With that preface, she began to describe the village.
Apparently, it had not only an adventurers’ guild and the Mary Trading Company but also conducted trade with the commercial guild. A dungeon was discovered in the forest at the base of the Wolfsburg Mountains, where over a thousand adventurers constantly stayed, making it easy to obtain rare materials from magical beasts. Even more astonishingly, dwarves lived in the village, and there was a dwarven forge.
At this information, even Yard raised his voice.
“Impossible…! There’s no way such a thing could happen in just over a year!”
He shouted, and I could only nod reluctantly in agreement.
“…I thought this was just a remote village cast aside, but it seems not. Perhaps, knowing that dwarves lived here, the kingdom used all its resources to develop it. That’s probably why the commercial guild became involved.”
I explained, and Yard nodded deeply.
“Th-That must be it. Van… he’s unbelievably lucky. I’ve never even seen dwarves myself.”
Yard laughed, but the maid’s eyes sharpened. The knights around her did the same.
“W-What? Are you saying that’s not true?”
Yard’s low voice dared to glare back, but the petite maid remained unfazed.
“…When Van-sama first arrived in this village, it was under attack by a bandit gang. To protect his territory, he personally took up a sword and fought. When a dragon appeared, he risked his life to retrieve Espada-sama, who was holding the rear. It was never luck—Van-sama is why the village has grown strong and prosperous.”
Tears welled in the maid’s eyes as she recounted Van’s efforts. She clearly understood that we represented the marquis family. Observing closely, I could see her fingers trembling slightly.
“I-How dare you speak so insolently! You’re just a maid…!”
Yard shouted and tried to step forward, but the maid merely shrugged in fear, never yielding an inch.
Then, a child’s voice rang out.
“Wow! Yard-nii and Sest-nii!? Long time no see! How have you been?”
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